Zui Quan

While watching another indie horror flick, I'd made up my mind that I need to start reviewing Indies as a separate entity from Hollywood films; they simply can't compare. Then I watched "Dead Life" and realized that may just be the biggest crock since the "Weaopns of Mass Destruction" excuse.

For the first 38 minutes, it's average; not bad, just average. The acting is, like most Indie releases, a mixed bag; some (Michael Hanton) are above average and could easily make the transition into bigger-budgeted productions and others...well, let's just leave it at that. The effects, too, could use some work in the beginning of the film; it's hard to suspend belief when a closeup of a zombie face shows the reflective glare from the cream-based makeup and, around it, a half-inch border of normal skin.

At the 39 minute mark though, "Dead Life" not only does everything right, it actually surpasses most Hollywood films and does a lot of things better.

Schotten wisely pulls his cameras back a bit and lets the zombies strut their stuff without revealing flaws in the effects. The script begins to tighten its focus and, while much of the film owes its existence to Romero's "Dead" trilogy, it also throws in a couple of unexpected twists of its own. Even the film's grainy, artifact-filled visuals work to create a gritty, creepy experience.

Add to that an unexpected, underlying morality and some of the most creative one-shots I've seen in a while (the zombie who eats himself, for example) and you've got a helluva ride. From start to finish, the carnage never lets up. Thank you, William Victor Schotten and the "Dead Life" crew, for showing this jaded reviewer that there are some gems to be found in Indie Horror.

My rating: 8 out of 10 guys looking for "food" in the hardware store may not be in the wrong place.

The deliberate refusal to show a movie, such as what Mr. Pintar is accusing theaters nationwide of doing, is simply not happening. It is unfortunate that a space alloted for genuine comments about the quality of a film is instead being used for berating thousands of theater owners for being non-patriotic (and on the main page of the film, yet!). In fact, the movie is NOT in nationwide release yet. As is often the case with documentaries (and, as was the case with Moore's last film, the excellent "Bowling for Columbine") "Fahrenheit" is currently in limited release while it builds up a sufficient buzz. We have been trying to procure a print for our theater, but there are currently none to be had.

Please keep comments such as these on the message boards, where they belong.

The post below by laurie-1 on 11 April 2001 (with the Subject "Summary: The action in the movie was excellent, but the morals portrayed sucked") has a MAJOR SPOILER that isn't revealed until two-thirds of the way in the movie. Given that the rest of the movie is pretty by-the-numbers, the reveal is really the most interesting thing in it, so keep this in mind before you scroll down if you haven't seen the movie yet.

This is as close to a perfect film as I've ever seen, foreign or otherwise. Beautiful photography, and a story that is incredibly heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Whether you are Chinese or not (I'm not), this film will give you an appreciation for your own sense of history and place. Be warned, this is also a three hanky film. To this day it is the only movie I have ever shed a tear at and, even though I know what's coming, I still cry like a baby every time I see it.

I can't help it but love this film; it's great cheesy fun!:) Forget Batman, this is the way a Superhero movie should be done. Incredible imagery (some shots will take your breath away) prevails in a film genre that traditionally should not look as good as this does. There is also a plot (underground demon lord stealing babies to find an heir) and Anita Mui sings, too...what more could you want? A warning though: the film is gritty and violent, and contains a scene with an infant that may be disturbing to sensitive viewers. It's not graphic, but extremely suggestive of graphic violence.

I've had this on tape for years, but never watched it. I couldn't get past the sped up intro scene with the lame opening line. Last night I gave it a chance though, and was blown away. While Lazenby is no Connery (in fact, for the first half of the film, he's almost no Moore, either), by the middle of the film he was 100% Bond...James Bond. The plot is terrific (although I would have liked to see Pleasance back as Blofeld instead of Telly Savalas, who had no sense of menace to him) and the last hour and a half is as good an action film as I've seen. Diana Rigg is my new favorite Bond girl, and the locations are beautiful and used with purpose. Some of the 'one liners' are hysterical, although one callous remark after a particularly gruesome death goes a bit over the line. The director's experimentation with undercranking wears a bit thin, but he does some nice work, too. There is one scene where Bond is staring out a multi-paned window. We can see his face through the upper left pane as he reminisces about a recent event, shown to us in the other panes. It is very subtle, and a beautiful idea wonderfully executed. This is also the only Bond film I've seen that even comes close to being Fleming's creation (the next closest is Dalton in License To Kill). Bond purists may disagree with my selection for best Bond film, but you can't argue this: if you give the film a chance, you'll find that Barry's score is without a doubt his best. Period. No argument allowed. :-)

If you thought Sonatine was too slow, this movie will drive you mad. Very understated and slowly paced, it is the story of a 10 year old Vietnamese peasant girl who must work as a servant in a home full of dishonesty and pain. There is almost no dialogue in the film; instead you must study the characters' faces and reactions to situations. A very rewarding experience if you are patient.

A gangster eats a fresh caught oyster from the hand of a young girl. A dying woman tries valiantly to prepare one last meal for her grief stricken family. A baby suckles at his mothers breast. In the middle of all this stands Tampopo - a middle-aged widow who is left with her husband's Noodle restaurant but hasn't got the knowledge, courage or skill to make it work. Tampopo is a biting satire of culture, food and ourselves. It's different, but if you keep an open mind, you'll find yourself laughing at the familiarity of it all.

Akira Kirosawa's fable about a poor village under siege from bandits is still enchanting and rings true to this day. Each of the samurai is a fully drawn character. How many films can you say that about today? The shortest 160 minutes you'll ever spend in front of the television.

This is it. This is the one that took Jackie Chan from being a star in Asia to being a Superstar. Zui Quan (Drunken Master) is full of terrific fight choreography and, although most of the time you can tell that that's exactly what it is, it still keeps us glued to the screen. It's like a deadly ballet, and it's fascinating to watch. The plot itself is light, but that's all it needs to be; anything more would have been too heavy. It underscores the action and moves us from one fight to the next without too much suspension of disbelief. Chan proves himself to be a gifted comedian here, as well intense and tough - there is simply _no_ way to fake those back-handed push ups he does during one of the film's training sequences. Don't miss this movie.

Wing Chun is a light-hearted period piece that centers around three women and the two men who want them as their brides. The problem is that the men think that Wing Chun is also a man and, therefore, a rival to them. It's filled with lots of fast-paced martial arts action, but all of it is comic-book style and completely over the top. The movie contains *tons* of wire work though so, if this is not your sort of thing, you have been warned. Great fun, and Michelle Yeoh is in top form.

Surprisingly, this is effective and inventive casting. The tag line proclaims Rush Hour as "The fastest hands in the East meets the biggest mouth in the West", and then actually follows through on that promise. Tucker is nowhere near as annoying as he was in Money Talks (1997), and he works well with Chan, at one point holding one hand in his while using the other to hold his own against more than a few baddies. He is certainly a better partner than Danny Aiello made in Chan's last US film (1985's ill-advised The Protector). Chan is also in good form, doing much more than would be expected from him in an American film under an American director. True - he never does any major stunts, but I'll watch the man shimmy up a wall any day (and there are several terrific variations on this theme throughout the movie). The only negative thing I can say is that the camera needed to be back a bit during action sequences. Jackie moves fast enough; the camera shouldn't have to. This made it difficult at times to see who was doing what to whom. In short, Rush Hour is terrific fun, and it will do just fine until Drunken Master 2 is released here in the States.